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🐦 Brighton’s Best Burger & Salsa on the Lawns

🐦 Brighton’s Best Burger & Salsa on the Lawns

Plus candlelit Queen, ghost stories and crates of vinyl in Shoreham

Ben Watkins
September 26, 2025

Hello Brighton,

Autumn’s creeping in and the city is full of things to do, from ghost stories at Theatre Royal and crate-digging in Shoreham to candlelit Queen at the Pavilion and big beats at Boundary. Or maybe you want to keep it low-key with burgers, art and a lazy wander through the lanes.

Here’s what’s squawking this week:

💿 Crates, vinyl and rare finds at Shoreham Record Fair
🎉 The Ageing Well Festival opens today with two weeks of events, workshops and celebrations.
🍔 Local bragging rights as Brighton burger spot ranks Top 20 worldwide
🎨 A spotlight on a local gallery championing local artists in Dukes Lane

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💿 Shoreham Record Fair

⏰ Sat 10:00am-2:00pm
📍 The Shoreham Centre

Dig through crates of vinyl, CDs and rare finds at this treasure trove for music lovers. From funk and punk to jazz and reggae, it’s a retro dream for crate diggers and casual browsers alike. Free entry and right next to the Shoreham Farmers’ Market.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🕯️ Candlelight: A Tribute to Queen

⏰ Sat 9:00pm
📍 Royal Pavilion

Queen’s biggest hits reimagined in the glow of candlelight. Expect a live orchestra performing classics like Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You in the magical setting of the Pavilion.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🎉 Ageing Well Festival

⏰ Fri 26 Sept - Thu 10 Oct
📍 Various venues

A two-week celebration for Brighton & Hove’s 50+ community, packed with creative workshops, talks, music, dance and social events. Starting with Picnic with Salsa Dancing this saturday at 5pm on Hove Lawns, it’s a brilliant way to meet new people and try something new.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

👻 Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark

⏰ Fri 7:30pm
📍 Theatre Royal Brighton

Danny Robins brings his hit supernatural series to the stage with eerie true tales, spine-tingling theories and audience chills. A follow-up to I Know What I Saw, this show dives into ghosts, aliens and the unexplained.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🧸 Little Pickles Baby & Children’s Market

⏰ Sun 10:00-11:30am
📍 Littlehampton Wave

A nearly-new market packed with clothes, toys and equipment for little ones, all at a fraction of retail prices. Perfect for bargain-hunting parents and families looking to shop sustainably.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🎶 Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra - A New World

⏰ Sun 2:45pm
📍 Brighton Dome

Conductor Joanna MacGregor and pianist Junyan Chen lead a powerful programme featuring Ravel’s La Valse and Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin. A chance to hear world-class musicians in the heart of Brighton.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

😂 Raise the Roof - Comedy Fundraiser for YMCA

⏰ Sun 8:00pm
📍 Komedia

A stacked comedy night featuring Mark Steel, Zoe Lyons, Mark Thomas and Elliot Steel, all raising funds for YMCA Brighton. Expect laughs, sharp wit and a serious dose of good karma.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🎧 Boundary Brighton Festival

⏰ Fri 26 - Sat 27 Sept
📍 Stanmer Park

Brighton’s biggest dance festival returns with house, drum & bass, jungle, garage and more spread across four stages. Expect huge names like Gorgon City, Eats Everything, Giggs and Ross From Friends in a full weekend of high-energy beats.

🎟️ Tickets & More Info

🎨 The Brighton Box Gallery

Tucked away in Dukes Lane, this little gallery is packed with a huge variety of art and is one of those places you wander into “just for a look” and somehow leave with a shark painting under your arm. Known as one of the friendliest galleries in the city, it champions Brighton and Sussex artists (over 85% live within 50 miles), giving new and emerging creatives a proper platform.

Expect everything from bold pop art to LGBTQ+ themes, digital pieces, abstracts and playful statement prints. They run regular solo shows, offer art rentals, and even make buying easier with the Own Art scheme (interest-free instalments).

Reviews rave about the warm welcome (sometimes with a glass of prosecco in hand), no hard sell, and helpful staff who’ll happily arrange delivery if you’re just passing through. Whether you’re an art collector or just looking to brighten up your walls, The Brighton Box is well worth a visit.

📍 21 Dukes Lane
🕒 Mon, Wed-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 9:30am-5:30pm; Sun 9:30am-5pm
🌐 Shop online + More info

🍔 Salt Shed: One of the World’s Best Burgers

Brighton’s own Salt Shed has just been crowned home to the 20th best burger in the world by World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants. Not bad for a team that started out slinging salt beef from a nan’s shed back in 2017.

These days you’ll find them firing up BBQ steak platters, loaded burgers and Sunday roasts at their North Laine flagship restaurant, or pouring cold pints and cocktails with seafront vibes at their BBQ Beach Bar opposite West Pier.

What makes Salt Shed special is how it still feels independent at heart. The menu is bold but unfussy, the atmosphere laid-back, and the food built around the simple joy of meat cooked over fire and served with a cold drink in hand.

💬 “For anyone seeking a burger rooted in flame and camaraderie, served in a venue with genuine culinary pedigree and local charm, Salt Shed is a great destination.”

Salt Shed’s motto? Meat. Fire. Beer. No arguments here. Thanks to The Argus for bringing this juicy news to our attention.

📍 111 Church Street & Kings Road Arches
🕒 North Laine: Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 12-10pm; Sun 12-8pm
🕒 West Pier: Daily 12-9pm
🌐 Website + Bookings

Events marked with a * are sponsored

🌊 The Coast is Queer

📅 Thursday 9 - Sunday 12 October
📍 Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

The UK's biggest & brightest LGBTQ+ Literature Festival
Join a wealth of authors and poets, performers, scriptwriters, activists and audiences to celebrate queer lives and writing. Festival highlights include a workshop with Travis Alabanza, Juno Dawson’s Lovely Trans Literary Salon with Munroe Bergdorf, A Morning with Damian Barr and Curtis Garner, Jackie Kay and Ali Smith in Conversation and much more.*

General Events

🎨 Helm Gallery’s ‘Take The Streets’
Fri, 6:00PM @ Helm Gallery
A Friday night mix of art, tattoos, cocktails and music. More Info

🚋 Murder on the Volk’s
Fri, 7:00PM @ Volk’s Electric Railway
Immersive 1930s murder mystery with dinner and a railway ride. More Info

😂 Komedia Comedy Club
Fri, 8:00PM @ Komedia
Three top comics and an MC at Brighton’s iconic club. Tickets

🧗 Abseil For The Animals 2025
Sat, 10:00AM-5:00PM @ Peacehaven Cliffs
Cliff abseil challenge supporting animal causes. More Info

📚 The Magic Of Terry Pratchett
Sat, 2:30PM @ Komedia
Marc Burrows on the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett. Tickets

🐦 A Word With The Bird
Sat, 3:00PM @ Yellow Book Bar
Family-friendly comedy chat show hosted by Mark Tournoff. More Info

💃 Picnic with Salsa Dancing
Sat, 5:00PM @ Hove Lawns
Food, music and salsa as part of the Ageing Well Festival. More Info

💌 35-59’s Mix & Mingle, Singles Night
Sat, 7:00PM @ Tempest
Exclusive mixer for 35-59s by the sea. More Info

🎭 The Clare Project - History Club
Sun, 2:00PM @ The Old Courtroom
Celebrate 25 years of The Clare Project with history and stories. More Info

🎭 The Mikado - Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Sussex
Sun, 2:45PM @ Adastra Hall, Hassocks
Lively performance with singalong chorus welcome. More Info

🎤 Reggae Revolution
Sun, 4:00PM @ Jungle Rumble Beach Bar
Irie vibes on the seafront celebrating Stevie Levi Ayamah. More Info

🍁 Autumn Leaves: Live Music | Pot Luck | DJ
Sun, 6:30PM @ The Garden Cafe, Hove
Live folk, DJ, potluck dinner and fundraiser for Little Forest Nursery. Tickets

Family Events

🌲 Stick Man
Multiple shows until Sun 28 Sept, 10:30AM-3:30PM @ The Old Market, Hove
Julia Donaldson’s classic tale comes to life on stage. More Info

🦔 Hedgy Visits the Dentist - Book Launch
Thu, 6:30PM @ Waterstones
Meet the authors and NHS oral health experts for a friendly kids’ launch. More Info

🐌 My First Cinema: The Snail And The Whale
Fri, 11:00AM @ Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham
Tiny snail, huge adventure with a humpback whale. More Info

🚶 Mental Wellbeing Family Activity Walk
Sat, 11:00AM-12:00PM @ Preston Park
Mindful walk exploring nature and autumn colours. More Info

🦕 The Colour of Dinosaurs
Sat, 5:00PM & Sun 28 Sept, 11:00AM & 3:00PM @ Brighton Dome
Science-pop gig revealing dinosaurs’ amazing colours. More Info

🧵 Experimental Weaving Workshop (11-16yrs)
Sun, 11:00AM-3:00PM @ Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft
Hands-on weaving inspired by Ditchling’s textiles heritage. More Info

Live Music